Holy crap I've approached friends about GRA and now I'm crapping myself a bit!

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplands]

So I’ve been following the trans discussions both here and in the press for a while now and I’m scared of how women are losing their voice and could be losing rights very soon. What is odd is that in RL no one I know has mentioned it. Ever. Not once.

So after watching so many brave women really putting their heads above the parapet tonight I’ve bit the bullet and sent a text to my close friends giving them the link to the GRA consultation and some reasons why I think it’s of interest to them to at least look at. This topic is something none of them have mentioned even knowing of.

Although I feel proud of myself for doing it I’m slightly shitting myself about the “friendship “ fallout and worried they think I’m bigot! Is this the adrenaline talking??!! Please talk me down

Thank you Arran fan. I do struggle to see how they plan to maintain women only spaces with the argument that anyone who says they're a woman is a woman, end of argument. On what basis are men (used in the traditional sense of the word) able to be excluded then? Only if they agree they're men?

I do struggle to see how they plan to maintain women only spaces with the argument that anyone who says they're a woman is a woman, end of argument

Exactly! Sometimes, I think they come up with this nonsense to exhaust our cognitive functions and make us waste brain cycles on attempting to find the irrational in the wholly irrational.

I've had favourable responses from 3 female friends and one male has been liking my posts. No negative responses or unfriendings...yet.

And I think I've just developed my response to this consultation.
I also want one of the t shirts that defines the word woman.

I've just sent the sport consultation to 2 friends who are also representatives of a sports club I'm in. I also bit the bullet and said what my position was (transgender people to be welcomed in sport but male-born people not to be able to compete in women's category) .. but nervous about what they will think but pleased you have all spurred me on to out myself even a tiny tiny bit.

No one I know has fallen out with me on this. In fact I've made and met more friends in life. Good people I can trust.

I have casually brought the issue up in conversation with two or three friends. They hadn't heard of the consultation but are on board now. I also know a couple of woke, anti-MMR, Corbyn-worshippers who will, I am almost certain, think I am a bigot, but I don't know if I can face discussing it with them just yet. Having tried to discuss scientific fact regarding vaccines etc with them I doubt I would get very far anyway.

Thankfully my mum thinks it's all a load of bollocks.

But then she did give birth to eight children. Her eldest was given a ration book.

I've only encouraged my mum and spoken to one or two mums in person. I don't usually shy away from 'being political' but I do find it sensitive and I also don't want to come across as a crazy lady who wants all trans sent off to Alcatraz.

I know what you mean OP. As and a PP said it feels like another Brexit in a way!

I've done my response. There were sections I didn't feel qualified to answer which I left blank. Just making people aware as it can seem quite daunting.

I'm meeting some friends tomorrow who I'm certain won't have a clue about the GRA. We live in a sleepy backwater stuck in 1950. They know I use MN and don't approve.
I'd like to raise it but feel I need a little checklist of points to make or prompts to remember.
How are these?

1. Transwomen are not transexuals in the majority of cases. It is Not the Same Thing!
2. The GRA would allow any man to say he is a women even if he has no intention of doing anything other than wearing women's clothing.
3. The entire school rugby team could self ID as girls and the school would have to let them share the girls' changing rooms.
4. Male athletes can take part in women's sports if they self ID. Very soon most women's titles will be won by males.

GooseDown
Am amused by your friends disapproval - what's so terrible about MN?
Your point 2 - even that won't be required. As long as a person is innately a woman, that it potentially all that self ID might require. No dress, no nothing. They could have a beard and wear a suit.
The biggest worry for me are the men, trans or otherwise, for whom this will be a open door to get access to women and children, in previously protected spaces. And to question that could potentially be called a hate crime.
The line that this affects no one who isn't trans is deeply disingenuous. It really could.

GooseDownCreek - might it be worth looking at these videos that are linked off this page?

fairplayforwomen.com

FekkoTheLawyer
I've just ordered this one for days when I'm undercover
I'm still waiting for it to arrive so can't give any feedback about sizing or quality.

www.amazon.co.uk/Crazy-Dog-Tshirts-Nevertheless-Persisted/dp/B06VVPPDBX/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=nevertheless+she+persisted+t+shirt&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1538669470&sr=8-1

If they come back favourably I'll send them the link to the GRA consultation .. I just nearly broke my keyboard by bashing the keys so vehemently when I filled it in . I've bookmarked the Times article about Pips to share on FB tomorrow as I have already spammed my FB friends with many many dog photos today

Thankyou for the push needed to do something (very small) about this OP

I went public on fb this week. I've been writing letters for months (& talking to the local bloody libdems - total waste of time) but had zero impact & felt like I had to do something more. It is made more complicated because I've got a close family member who is in the midst of a trans crisis. I've tried to be kind & keep a lid on how angry I feel. I'm debating posting about NAS & Mermaids later, it's a bit of a trigger issue for me & I'm trying to avoid ranting like a lunatic.

Haven't had anything negative & a little public support (my lovely mum who is fucking livid about the whole thing & a couple of friends who have daughters on the edges in it) BUT I've had some private messages saying they will do the consultation & I've helped another five ppl do it irl.

dh is freaking out that I'm drawing any attention to myself about it but he's peak transed most of his office (blokey blokes) - trouble is that bit is easy, converting that to consultations completed is the hard bit.

The thing is lam this isn't really about normal trans people. It's about people who think they have a right to take over women's spaces, or actually have malicious intent. Some of these people will be trans. The majority will be Billy bullshitters. Or Barbara bullshitters.

I live in a world where most people are politically active - cross party but mostly lefties. Almost unanimously I've been called transphobic, homophobic (?), a terf, not a feminist, a disgrace, stupid, nasty, small-minded, prejudiced.....

I haven't shared the GRA consultation because the responses will not help the cause.

One small light is that a very active and respected SNP supporter has started being vocal about his support for Posie Parker. He's received a fair level of abuse too, but also pulling out some supporters.

It's tough.

I've gone public as well. Got v little reaction on faceborg but hoping it will chip away at people's lack of awareness.

Almost unanimously I've been called transphobic, homophobic (?), a terf, not a feminist, a disgrace, stupid, nasty, small-minded, prejudiced.....
You see that was my view until I started properly reading all the threads on here, and I ignored them for a long time
I've looked at the fairplay website and unfortunately it doesn't quite get the message over IMO unless you really dig down and find the guide to the questionnaire.

Goosedown I think that's a really good list and will absolutely get the conversation started. I found the first few minutes were hardest I had to fight the urge to almost apologise in case I offended! That's good old social conditioning for you 😊

Well I think I may have peaked DH this evening! We've spoken (as in I've ranted and he's not quite "got it") many times before but after showing him my text message and mentioning the effect on women's sports it was literally like watching a light come on! I was actually surprised at how animated he got and didn't shut up about it for ages. Now I need him to go out and talk to other men.

Notanother that t-shirt is great! Let us know what fit/quality is like.

Thanks OP for your efforts. Partly inspired by you, I have started the process of telling friends. I spoke to one friend yesterday who agreed with what I was saying but didn’t seem quite as horrified by it all as I am.

Tonight I started drafting a long message that I plan to send to a big group of women I know locally, explaining what the issue is, why it is such a potential disaster, and the importance of responding to the consultation. Like you, I feel a bit worried that they will think I am transphobic, but I am trying really hard to explain it all correctly. Hopefully I can make an impact. I plan to finish and send it tomorrow evening.

Does anyone know any links for articles about how this has affected sport please. I've raised issue with my stbxh who works in sports media. He thinks it will never happened so i would like to show him evidence to the contrary!

In other news I tentatively raisied with my auntie who i thought would be GC. Turns out she had been leafletted about it and had a discussion with someone who approached her when she dropped her son off at uni in Leeds recently (of all places). So thank you to whoever that was!

She's totally onboard and outraged it's going under the radar.

I've ordered the Fair Play for Women pack. Any tips on how to distribute. I don't think i am brave or eloquent enough to do face to face!